Govt. receptive to Water Power System

WATER POWER TOP-UP INITIATIVE: The Prime Minister's response confirms that the government will keep the best interest of the country and may revisit the initiative.

Government has taken on board suggestions for a Water Power top-up initiative identical to the Cash Power top-up for electricity.

The suggestion was made by Taimi ma le Palemia weekly television program host Toleafoa Pili Afamasaga Asiata and it has tickled Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi.

“With a lot of people complaining about expensive water bills, is now the perfect time for government to look into implementing a Water Power top-up initiative identical to the Cash Power?” Toleafoa inquired.

“Cash Power is resolving huge outstanding electricity debts and with an identical Water Power scheme, it will give the customer the choice to use water conservatively depending on the family’s income power and at the same time address the outstanding unpaid water bills mounting?”

Replied the Prime Minister;

“I commend your way of thinking. In fact, the same idea was on the table a decade or so ago but it vaporized as government at the time was concentrating on improving the water supply system for the country."

“That’s why we created the Samoa Water Authority to exclusively deal with the water needs of the country."

“Back then, there was a lot of opposition in the initial stages when questions arose within government and parliament if water bills was an issue to address our countries’ water woes."

“However tough decisions had to be made back then,” the Prime Minister recalled. “It was a time where water borne diseases surfaced and it became a major threat to our residents and they needed clean water."

“Today, while some people continue to complain that they cannot afford to pay their water bills, the government is not resting on its laurels."

“I have been told that less than 1% of our residents are not receiving clean treated water and this is mostly in the remote villages and areas."

“But it’s not stopping government from making every effort to ensure that water supply is readily available.” Tuilaepa noted that in some cases, the drilling cost to locate underground natural springs to supply villages is not only expensive but a huge ask and at worse almost impossible.

He noted that while the government water system under the umbrella of the Samoa Water Authority, (S.W.A.) is meeting the majority of residents water needs, there is also the Village Water System assistance program complemented by projects financed and implemented by none-government organizations.

S.W.A. services 85% of the population provides water treatment plants for existing water sources in rural areas. About 18%of the rural population, or more than 32,000 people in 54 villages, participate in independent water schemes, which are owned and managed at the local level.

“And our development partners are also pouring in millions of tala worth of grants every year to improve our water and waste water system especially in sanitation,” the Prime Minister was quick to note.

Back to the Water Power, the Prime Minister acknowledged that it time for government to revisit their initial plan for such a system to be in place.

The Taimi male Palemia program is televised Wednesday night by TV1 and viewed worldwide on website www.tv1samoa.tv.